Mallory’s heart pounded in her throat as she stood and turned in a slow circle, wondering which direction to go, trying to see through the gloom. It was hopeless; never had she seen the mist so thick and dark, but panic urged her into the night, searching for Maureen and that high, keening cry. The man, that faceless, nameless pursuer surely heard the same scream she heard and she had to reach Maureen before he did.
Stumbling over uneven ground and brambles that clutched at her legs, Mallory blundered through the fog, slipping on damp heather and sedge grass. The boom of waves against boulders grew louder. Her path led downward. She was nearing the sea.
“Mallory!” It was a whisper, and it was near.
“Maureen?” Mallory breathed.
“Yes, yes,” Maureen answered. “Oh, I prayed that you would find me.”
Mallory wiped away tears of relief. “I was afraid you were caught in the bog.”
A warm hand grasped hers and Maureen said, “Not the bog, no! Thank Heaven. It’s my foot! It’s wedged under a rock. I can’t get loose. I was afraid to call, afraid that he would hear.”
Mallory dropped to the ground, tugging at the boulder that held Maureen in its grasp.
“Yes, you screamed,” she said. “I heard you.”
Maureen’s voice sounded choked. “I heard it too, but it wasn’t me.”
A heavy footfall brought Mallory’s head up. On the knoll above her and Maureen a dark shape emerged. For a brief instant, the fog shifted and moonlight cut through. A man looked down on them, only a few feet away.
“No use running,” he growled. “I’ve got you now.”
Without warning, a shriek tore through the night. Higher, shriller it rose until Mallory felt her eardrums would split. Was it one voice or a dozen? The desolation of a hundred grieving spirits, the lament of suffering mankind, shattered the fog. Mallory could not breathe nor move. That unearthly cry paralyzed all thought and action. No human throat uttered such a sound. At last, when Mallory thought she would go mad, the scream died into a moan and faded.
The two women looked at each other, speechless. A bone deep chill gripped Mallory. She glanced up at the knoll. It was empty. Their pursuer had vanished.
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By the way, in case you missed my happy news that I posted on my Facebook page yesterday, let me share this link to a really great review! What an honor!
http://writeonpurpose.com/5062/reviews/book-reviews-reviews/book-review-the-cemetery-club-by-blanche-day-manos-and-barbara-burgess
Very nice write-up and review, Blanche. We are in Texas now, enjoying the Gulf and trying to rest up from the long drive. I’ve started on my second historical fiction. Since it takes place in Texas, I’m hoping being here will be an incentive to get working!
Good for you in reaching Texas safely! I’m sure you will enjoy being in the warmth and it’ll inspire you to pen another best seller.
Wait! That can’t be the end! !!
Well, or at least the end of that scene. Heh heh.